Author: High Profile Wyoming Murder Was About Meth, Not Sexuality

The author of a controversial 2013 book about the Matthew Shepard murder says a lot of what you think you know about the infamous 1998 murder of the gay University of Wyoming student is probably wrong.

The author recorded an interview with Glenn Woods on KGAB radio in Cheyenne which aired on Thursday morning. You can see the entire interview by watching the above video.

Stephen Jimenez says in his book ''The Book of Matt" says the idea that Shepard was killed for being gay is not true. Jimenez, who says he is himself gay, says the fact of the matter was that Shepard was killed over a perceived drug debt.

Jimenez claims that Shepard and Aaron McKinney were long time friends and that McKinney, on the night Shephard was killed, was expecting Shepard to have six ounces of meth which he believed Shepard was bringing to Laramie from Colorado.

Jimenez claims that when Shepard did not obtain the meth and also didn't have the money that would have come from selling the drug in Laramie, it led to Shepard's murder in a vicious beating death that is commonly referred to as a hate crime.

Jimenez claims McKinney's accomplice in the murder, Russell Henderson thought he and McKinney were simply going to rob Shepard up until the killing took place.

Jimenez's version of the murder is at odds with the generally accepted version of the killing, which is that McKinney and Henderson killed Shepard because Shepard was openly gay and was murdered because of McKinney and Henderson's alleged hatred of homosexuals.

Shepard was attacked on October 6, 1998, in a horrific beating that is often cited as an example of why ''hate crime" laws are needed and also of the deep hatred sometimes exhibited towards gay people in American society. He died of his injuries on Oct. 12, 1998.

McKinney and Henderson are each serving consecutive life sentences for the murder. Sara Burlingame of Wyoming Equality is scheduled to appear on KGAB Friday morning, Oct. 12 at 9 to respond to Jimenez's comments.